Garlic Chili Oil Spaghetti
Dive into a bowl of pure delight with our Garlic Chili Oil Spaghetti! With just a handful of ingredients, including fragrant garlic and a kick of chili flakes, this dish delivers a bold flavor punch that’s both satisfying and cozy. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a comforting treat, you'll love how effortlessly delicious it is!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Fresh lemon zest, for garnish (optional)optional
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped (79.2 ml)
- 1 whole parsley stem (for infusing)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)optional
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus 1 to 2 tbsp more if needed) (79.2 ml)
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water (240-240 ml)
- 8 oz (225 g) spaghetti (227 g)
📦Other(1)
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (or 1 tsp finely chopped fresh chili without seeds) (5 ml)1 tsp finely chopped fresh chili without seeds
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of aggressively salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta water, then drain.
- 2
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil gently in a large skillet over medium-low. Add the garlic slices and whole parsley stem, stir constantly until the garlic turns light golden… not brown (about 3 minutes).
- 3
Stir in the chili flakes and a pinch of salt. Let them bloom for 30 seconds, then remove the parsley stem and take the pan off the heat.
- 4
Add about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet and stir/whisk vigorously to combine with the oil. It’ll start looking creamy and slightly thick… that’s your emulsion forming.
- 5
Return the pan to medium-low heat and add the drained spaghetti along with another splash of pasta water. Toss everything aggressively with tongs for 1–2 minutes, drizzling in 1 to 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and a bit more pasta water as you go. The sauce should turn silky and glossy. If it looks dry or clumpy, add more water; if it looks thin, keep tossing.
- 6
Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Taste and add a tiny pinch of salt if needed.
- 7
Plate immediately, spooning any extra sauce from the pan over the top. Garnish with lemon zest and a sprinkle of Parmesan if you’d like.
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Garlic Chili Oil Spaghetti
Dive into a bowl of pure delight with our Garlic Chili Oil Spaghetti! With just a handful of ingredients, including fragrant garlic and a kick of chili flakes, this dish delivers a bold flavor punch that’s both satisfying and cozy. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a comforting treat, you'll love how effortlessly delicious it is!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Fresh lemon zest, for garnish (optional)optional
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped (79.2 ml)
- 1 whole parsley stem (for infusing)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)optional
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus 1 to 2 tbsp more if needed) (79.2 ml)
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water (240-240 ml)
- 8 oz (225 g) spaghetti (227 g)
📦Other(1)
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (or 1 tsp finely chopped fresh chili without seeds) (5 ml)1 tsp finely chopped fresh chili without seeds
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of aggressively salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta water, then drain.
- 2
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil gently in a large skillet over medium-low. Add the garlic slices and whole parsley stem, stir constantly until the garlic turns light golden… not brown (about 3 minutes).
- 3
Stir in the chili flakes and a pinch of salt. Let them bloom for 30 seconds, then remove the parsley stem and take the pan off the heat.
- 4
Add about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet and stir/whisk vigorously to combine with the oil. It’ll start looking creamy and slightly thick… that’s your emulsion forming.
- 5
Return the pan to medium-low heat and add the drained spaghetti along with another splash of pasta water. Toss everything aggressively with tongs for 1–2 minutes, drizzling in 1 to 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and a bit more pasta water as you go. The sauce should turn silky and glossy. If it looks dry or clumpy, add more water; if it looks thin, keep tossing.
- 6
Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. Taste and add a tiny pinch of salt if needed.
- 7
Plate immediately, spooning any extra sauce from the pan over the top. Garnish with lemon zest and a sprinkle of Parmesan if you’d like.